Anthony Goods - UW trip report

Chris Fetters

06/05/2004

Dawgman.com spoke Saturday with the mother of Anthony Goods, and Carol had nothing but great things to say about the University of Washington after she and Anthony spent two days learning everything they needed to know about the school, basketball program and those involved with it.

"It went very well," Carol said of the visit to UW with Anthony. "I was impressed with the program, as well as the school. Anthony hasn't made a decision yet, but Washington will be a serious contender."

Right now Anthony is currently playing at the Pangos All-American Camp in Cypress, California. He will leave with his Mother Sunday night for an official trip to Stanford. It will be the last visit Anthony will take, despite schools like Georgia Tech and Kansas pushing hard for Goods to still take visits in the fall.

"I didn't realize it at the time, but Anthony told Coach (Lorenzo) Romar that he wanted to make a decision by his birthday," Carol said. "His birthday is on the 21st (of June). I think he'll decide then, but he doesn't have to. He'd like to do it before school starts so he can concentrate on his schoolwork."

So what was the visit like for Anthony? "I had been to Seattle before, but it was his first trip," Carol said of her son. "He was so enthralled with the trees. He just kept saying, 'Christmas trees, christmas trees all over the place.' And then there was the water. The architecture of the school was impressive. We went to one libraray (Suzzallo) and it was like something you would see in a Harry Potter movie. It was just beautiful.

"And you could see Mount Rainier from the campus, with it's snow top. Anthony liked that. It was fascinating."

Anthony and his Mother also liked what they heard from coach Romar about the basketball program and Anthony's place in it.

"One question I did ask was, 'How will you use him?' and they told us that they were impressed with Anthony's flexibility," said Carol. "He could be a two or a point guard. They really like his ball-handling skills and his defense. He can also shoot the three and take it to the hole. The way his body is built, they said that they would love to get him into their conditioning program because he has the perfect body for what they want to do."

Carol was very impressed with the Huskies' head man. "Coach Romar was very candid and positive about everything, and I really liked that," she said. "For instance, he had very nice things to say about (new Stanford coach) Trent Johnson."

Goods has been admitted to Stanford, so one would think that the Cardinal would hold a lead, but Carol is quick to point out that recent events have caused both her and Anthony to carefully evaluate the recruiting landscape.

"California was the first school to talk to him, but Stanford was the first school to really recruit Anthony hard," Carol said. "But as the process continued, we looked at certain things that were necessary: academics, of course; whether or not a team needed him for playing time as a freshman; genuine interest; and going to a school where he felt comfortable at socially, as well as with the coaches, players and the program.

"While getting into Stanford was fantastic, we were going to this visit thinking that Coach (Mike) Montgomery was going to be there. Now it's Coach Johnson. It's a big question mark. There are a lot of questions that need to be answered."

There don't seem to be any more questions about Washington after Goods' visit to Montlake. "Like I asked him, 'Do you want to be a part of a team working their way up, or do you want to go to an established program and just be another guy?'," said Carol. "I know Washington lost a senior (Curtis Allen) and they might lose Nate (Robinson), so by 2005 there would be a big need for guards, and the flexibility is there."

The next two weeks will be an exciting time for Anthony Goods, as he goes through the pros and cons of each school and ultimately makes his college selection. Look for Stanford, California and Washington to be Goods' final three choices, but who will Anthony pick? One thing is for sure - Lorenzo Romar has staked his claim. Will it be enough?